


You & Me | Bumper Cars

by alexandradanvers



Category: Designated Survivor (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 04:45:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13651713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexandradanvers/pseuds/alexandradanvers
Summary: Set after Season 1 Finale of Designated Survivor (1x21)Emily apologizing to Aaron-Missing Scene





	You & Me | Bumper Cars

**Author's Note:**

> Set after Season 1 Finale of Designated Survivor (1x21)
> 
> First time writing these two, as well as my first post on AO3. Comments are appreciated <3
> 
> Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters or anything

_ "You and me, we're bumper cars _

_ The more I try to get to you _

_ The more we crash apart _

_ Round and round we chase the sparks _

_ But all that seems to lead to _

_ Is a pile of broken parts” _

 

Now as the newly appointed National Security Advisor, Aaron was now back at the White House. He had left his previous job with Kimble Hookstraten when she was appointed Secretary of Education. It felt good to be back, the rhythm of the busy White House staff flowing through the crowded hallways. 

 

Emily was now the Chief of Staff after his resignation, and they both knew that she was doing a better job, even if she wouldn’t admit it. They were complicated. He wanted to fix what they had left, but he couldn’t and wouldn’t mess up his friendship with Emily even more. He missed her, but he couldn’t ask her out again after their failed attempt of a first date. 

 

_Emily Rhodes. Smart, beautiful, funny, Emily._

 

Back when he was still Chief of Staff and she was Special Advisor to POTUS, they had been constantly working together, side by side. It grew into something, something that Aaron knew they both wanted. It had ended badly when Kirkman had assigned Emily into investigating Aaron.

 

Aaron made his way down to the command op centre, greeting his co-workers as he passed by them. Eventually, he passed by his former office, and couldn’t help but look in.

 

Behind a stack of paperwork, Emily Rhodes was organising POTUS’s schedule. She glanced up from her work, sensing a person at the doorway. 

 

_Aaron Shore._

 

She couldn’t believe it. She had heard that Kirkman had asked him to come back to the White House, but she didn’t expect it to be so soon. 

 

"Hey, you,”

 

“Hey, Em.”

 

Aaron strode across the room, taking the space around him, noting that Emily hadn’t changed anything in his old office. He pulled her quickly into a hug, planting a brief kiss on her cheek before they separated. She sat down on the leather seat, while Aaron leaned against his old desk. 

 

“How was work with Hookstraten? I thought you were gonna follow her?” 

 

“I didn’t see myself working for the Secretary of Education. Let’s just say, after you work in the West Wing, everything feels like a step down,” 

 

“Well, its good to have you back, Aaron."

 

Aaron’s phone buzzed in his pocket, notifying him that he had an unofficial meeting that started at 8:15. 

 

_Crap. It was 8:12 already._

 

“Hey Em, I gotta go. Meeting in 3 minutes. See you later?” 

 

“I’ll see you later, Shore.” Emily gave him one last smile before going back to her paperwork.

 

Aaron rushed to the command op centre, knowing that his day already got ten times better. All because of Emily Rhodes.  

 

At 10:30 pm, Aaron had wrapped up 5 successful meetings and finished most of his paperwork, he headed back to Emily’s office. To celebrate his return to the White House, Emily decided that they would have a mini-gathering at her office, where the “Golden Trio" used to hang out after a long day of work when it was still his office. 

 

Seth was there already, looking like he already had three to four glasses of whatever Emily had hidden in her desk cabinet. 

 

“Aaron! Hey man… How’s your first day back?” asked Seth, pouring himself another glass. 

 

“It’s good to be back,” replied Aaron, before turning to Emily for one glass of wine. 

 

Emily poured Aaron a drink, their fingers touching for a brief moment when she handed him the glass.  He glanced at her for a moment, mouthing a quick thank you before downing his drink. 

 

The group fell into their casual conversation, catching each other up on what happened in the White House in the previous months. 

 

“See you guys.” 

 

At around 11:15, Seth had decided to go home since he had one too many drinks. 

 

Now, it was just Emily and himself. An awkward silence filled the room as they sat on the edge of the sofa, just like when Emily had kissed him so many nights ago. Aaron thought that it was the alcohol in her system that was responsible for what had happened. He never thought that Emily had liked him like that; he always thought all she wanted was a platonic relationship, even if she would occasionally flirt with him. 

 

Emily desperately wanted to apologise for their falling out when she was asked to vet him by Kirkman. She couldn’t bring herself to do it; she thought that it would worsen the situation they were in. She pondered for a while, already imagining the worst possible situation in her head. 

 

“Aaron? I’m-”

 

“Em, I know you’re gonna try to apologise for suspecting me of treason. It’s okay. It was your job, and you did what you were supposed to. I was the jerk, for questioning your intentions.”

 

“No, Aaron, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have done that. Even if Kirkman asked me to.” Emily set down her glass, turning to face Aaron as she did so.  “I’m sorry I doubted you, Aaron. I shouldn’t have."

 

Tears started streaming down Emily’s face, the walls she spent so many years building up finally crumbling around Aaron Shore. 

 

“The evidence was circumstantial…..I shouldn’t have doubted you. I’m so, so sorry.” 

 

Aaron pulled Emily into a hug, consoling her, sitting in the comfortable silence that replaced the awkwardness which had pervaded the room.  Emily was embarrassed, she didn’t know why Aaron had such an effect on her. She pulled back, casting her eyes downwards, playing with her bracelet, while Aaron kept on talking. 

 

“Emily, you can’t blame yourself. All the evidence, the investigation, all of it was wrong timing, ” Aaron tucked a stray hair behind her ear, gently caressing her cheek as he spoke.  “You’re a better Chief of Staff than I ever was and Em?”

 

“Yeah?” Emily brought her eyes back up, finally gathering the courage to look back at Aaron. 

 

“Don’t stop believing in yourself. The White House needs you to.”

 

“Okay. Aaron, thank you.”

 

Emily picked herself back up, the walls again forming, masking her emotions, even if Aaron could always see through her. Emily stepped back into the professionality of Chief of Staff, her thoughts automatically leaving the personal side of her life back to her busy work life.

 

“Anytime. Get some rest, it's a big day tomorrow, Three-Letter Day, remember?”

 

“Yep,”

 

Aaron glanced at the clock, realising that it was already past midnight. He picked up his coat, and opened the door, while Emily was tidying her bag, gathering all the important files she needed to prep for tomorrow. 

 

They walked out together, side by side, just like they had forever ago. Unspoken thoughts filled the air, every room and hall they passed reminding them both of what could have been. 

 

Finally, they arrived at the entrance of the White House, having to split ways as they lived on opposite sides of D.C. 

 

“See you tomorrow, Em,”

 

“Yeah. I’ll see you."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I'd really like any constructive criticism or just comment anything below.
> 
> (give me prompts for characters and I'll try to write them too)


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